Revolving skipping device



Jan. 21, 1964 c. E. FITCH 3,118,666

REVOLVING SKIPPING DEVICE Filed Oct. 17, 1961 l NVEN TOR.

Cami/22% United States Patent 3,118,666 REVOLVING SKIPPING DEVICE Clifford E. Fitch, 27 9 Homewcod Court, Chicago Heights, Ill.

Filed Oct. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 145,641 3 Claims. (Cl. 272-75) The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved revolving skipping device, which provides for multiple skipping per revolution of the device, which is balanced and stabilized in operation, which may be readily manipulated and operated, which is supported by and completely under the control of the hands of the skipper, which is readily operable for skipping over uneven terrain, which is readily operable for turning and changing skipping directions, which is readily usable by skippers of various heights and breadths, which is simple and rugged in construction, which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble, which has utility in gymnasiums and the like for body building and exercising programs, and which is pleasurable to use by children and also adults.

Further objects of this invention reside in the details of construction of the revolving skipping device and in the cooperative relationships between the component parts thereof.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying specification, claims and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front View of the revolving skipping device of this invention showing the same being manipulated by a skipper.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the revolving skipping device also showing it being manipulated by a skipper.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the central portion of the revolving skipping device.

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

The revolving skipping device of this invention is generally designated at 19 and it is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 as being manipulated by a skipper 11. The revolving skipping device includes a relatively rigid transverse member 12 which is preferably longer than the breadth of the skipper. The member 12 may be formed of any suitable material such as synthetic plastic, metal, or the like, and it may be solid or tubular, as desired. For purposes of specific illustration, the elongated transverse member 12 may be approximately twenty inches long. The member 12 is provided adjacent its center with a pair of opposed crank portions 13 upon which are mounted rotatable handles 14. The crank portions 13 are grasped through the handles 14 by the hands of the skipper for freely movably supporting the member 12 in front of and in proximity to the hips or waist of the skipper and for desirably positioning and revolving the member 12. As a further specific example, the crank arms 13 may have a cranking radius of approximately four inches and the crank arms may be spaced apart approximately two inches or so.

A plurality of elongated portions 15 are provided at the ends of the member 12 and they extend substantially radially outwardly from the ends of the member 12 in equally spaced relation. As illustrated, two elongated portions 15 are formed at the ends of the member 12, these elongated portions 15 extending radially outwardly in opposite directions from the member 12 and they being parallel to each other. Thus, as the member 12 is revolved, its elongated end portions 15 are correspondingly revolved. As a further specific example, these elongated end portions 15 may be approximately ten inches long, five inches on each side of the axis of the elongated member 12.

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A plurality of relatively flexible loops 16 are secured at their ends to the equally spaced substantially radially extending elongated end portions 15 of the member 12, and the relatively flexible loops 16 are revolved by the member 12 over the head and under the feet of the skipper. The relatively flexible loops 16 are preferably tubular and made from a suitable relatively flexible synthetic plastic material. The ends of the tubular loops 16 are telescoped over the end portions 15 for securing the same thereto. The end portions 15 scribe a circle about the central axis of the member 12 so that, as the member 12 is revolved, the relatively flexible loops 16 are revolved about the scribed circle without danger of winding up on the member 12. In other words, the elongated end portions 15 assure appropriate revolving of the relatively flexible loops 16.

Preferably, the end portions 15 are tubular in form for receiving rods 17 which may be formed of wood or the like. The rods 17 extend beyond the ends of the elongated portions 15 for scribing a still larger circle for further controlling the revolution of the loops 16. As a speciiic example, the rod 17 may be 36 inches long, thereby scribing a circle of 18 inches radius. While not absolutely necessary, the rods 17 provide for better control for the rotation of the relatively flexible loops 16. Instead of utilizing the rods 17, the elongated end portions 15 may be lengthened to any desired length for scribing the desired circle for rotating the loops 15. While only two relatively flexible loops 16 have been illustrated, additional equally spaced loops, such as three or four loops, may be utilized if desired.

The revolving skipping device, because of its multiple loops 16, provides for multiple skipping per revolution of the device. Since the device is symmetrical about its central axis, it is balanced and stabilized in operation. Since the revolving skipping device is supported only by the hands of the skipper, it may be readily manipulated and operated by the skipper under the complete control of the hands of the skipper, and this is enhanced by the location of the crank portions adjacent the center of the member, i.e. near the center of gravity thereof. The revolving device during use may be raised or lowered by the hands of the skipper to make possible skipping over an uneven terrain. Also, it may be readily positioned by the hands of the skipper for turning and changing skipping directions. Since it is supported solely by the hands of the skipper, it may be readily used by skippers of various heights. The revolving device is also adjustable by varying the effective lengths of the loops 16 to accommodate a wide range of skippers from tall to short.

While for purposes of illustration one form of this invention has been disclosed, other forms thereof may become apparent to those skilled in the art and, therefore, this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A revolving skipping device comprising, an unsupported relatively rigid elongated transverse member longer than the breadth of the skipper and having a pair of opposed crank portions adjacent the center of the member and extending substantially radially outwardly in opposite directions from the longitudinal central axis of the member to be grasped by the hands of the skipper for freely movably supporting the member in front of and in proximity to the hips or waist of the skipper and for desirably movably positioning the member with respect thereto and revolving the member about its longitudinal central axis, and a plurality of elongated portions at the ends of the member extending substantially radially outwardly therefrom in equally spaced relation and revolved thereby about the longitudinal central axis of the member, and a plurality of relatively fiexible loops secured at their ends to the equally spaced substantially radially extending elongated end portions of the member and revolved thereby over the head and under the feet of the skipper as the member is revolved about its longitudinal central axis and operating by centrifugal forces to balance and stabilize the revolving skipping device about the longitudinal central axis of the member.

2. A revolving skipping device comprising, an unsupported relatively rigid elongated transverse member longer than the breadth of the skipper and having a pair of opposed crank portions adjacent the center of the member and extending substantially radially outwardly in opposite directions from the longitudinal central axis of the member to be grasped by the hands of the skipper for freely movably supporting the member in front of and in proximity to the hips or waist of the skipper and for desirably movably positioning the member with respect thereto and revolving the member about its longitudinal central axis, and an elongated portion at each end of the member and revolved thereby about the longitudinal central axis of the member, the elongated portions extending substantially radially outwardly in opposite directions from the member, and a pair of oppositely arranged rela tively flexible tubular loops telescopically secured at their ends to the oppositely arranged substantially radially extending end portions of the member and revolved thereby over the head and under the feet of the skipper as the member is revolved about its longitudinal central axis and operating by opposed balanced centrifugal forces to balance and stabilize the revolving skipping device about the longitudinal central axis of the member.

3. A revolving skipping device comprising, an unsupported relatively rigid elongated transverse member longer 4 than the breadth of the skipper and having a pair of opposed crank portions adjacent the center of the member and extending substantially radially outwardly in opposite directions from the longitudinal central axis of the member to be grasped by the hands of the skipper for freely movably supporting the member in front of and in the proximity to the hips or Waist or" the skipper and for desirably movably positioning the member with respect thereto and revolving the member about its longitudinal central axis, an elongated end portion carried by each end of the member and revolved thereby about the longitudinal central axis of the member, the elongated end portions extending substantially radially outwardly in opposite directions from the member and being parallel to each other and having tubular securing means at their outer ends, rods received in the tubular securing means and extending substantially radially outwardly therefrom in opposite directions, and a pair of oppositely arranged relatively flexible tubular loops receiving the outwardly extending rods to be stiffened thereby and telescopically secured at their ends to the tubular securing means at the outer ends of the end portions of the member and revolved thereby over the head and under the feet of the skipper as the member is revolved about its longitudinal central axis and operating by opposed balanced centrifugal forces to balance and stabilize the revolving skipping device about the longitudinal central axis of the member.

References Cited in the file of this patent await-n 

1. A REVOLVING SKIPPING DEVICE COMPRISING, AN UNSUPPORTED RELATIVELY RIGID ELONGATED TRANSVERSE MEMBER LONGER THAN THE BREADTH OF THE SKIPPER AND HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED CRANK PORTIONS ADJACENT THE CENTER OF THE MEMBER AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY OUTWARDLY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM THE LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL AXIS OF THE MEMBER TO BE GRASPED BY THE HANDS OF THE SKIPPER FOR FREELY MOVABLY SUPPORTING THE MEMBER IN FRONT OF AND IN PROXIMITY TO THE HIPS OR WAIST OF THE SKIPPER AND FOR DESIRABLY MOVABLY POSITIONING THE MEMBER WITH RESPECT THERETO AND REVOLVING THE MEMBER ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL AXIS, AND A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED PORTIONS AT THE ENDS OF THE MEMBER EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM IN EQUALLY SPACED RELATION AND REVOLVED THEREBY ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL AXIS OF THE MEMBER, AND A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE LOOPS SECURED AT THEIR ENDS TO THE EQUALLY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY EXTENDING ELONGATED END PORTIONS OF THE MEMBER AND REVOLVED THEREBY OVER THE HEAD AND UNDER THE FEET OF THE SKIPPER AS THE MEMBER IS REVOLVED ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL AXIS AND OPERATING BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCES TO BALANCE AND STABILIZE THE REVOLVING SKIPPING DEVICE ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL AXIS OF THE MEMBER. 